Floor structure



E. V. JOHNSON.

FLOOR STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED mm. 25. I915 Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

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FLOOR STRUCTURE. APPLICATION FILED mus. l9l5.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

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APPLICATION man um. 25. ms.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

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ERNEST V. JOHNSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FLOOR STRUCTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

Application filed January 25, 1915. Serial No. 4,119.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST V. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Floor Structures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to floor structures of fire-proof materials and more particularly to floor structures of tile, and where it is especially desirable 'to provide long spans of great strength and minimum thickness, although it will be manifest, as

the invention is better understood, that it has a general application to floor structures of other types and in which these characteristics are not so important.

A principal object of this invention is the provision of a floor structure in which materials of light weight may be used to the best advantage from the point of view of supporting strength and shock resisting power.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a floor structure extending between girders constructed upon the cantaliver principle, effective means being provided to sustain the floor in position during construction through the utilization of a minimum amount of iron-work consistent with the safe supporting of the floor forming materials during hardening or setting, particular attention being paid to the securing of this iron-work to the girders in such manner that the fastening members are under tension while sustaining the load of the hardening or setting floor materials and thereby utilizing to the full extent the greatest feature of strength of the iron-work.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a floor structure consisting of cheaply provided materials capable of being cheaply installed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a partially constructed floor;

Fig. 2 is a section taken transversely of a finished floor and parallel to a girder;

Fig. 3 is similar view taken at right angles to the line of section of Fig. 2.

F ig. 4 is an enlarged perspective showing in detail the method of connecting the struc- 1tliiral members to the girder in forming the oor;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the same; and V Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a pair of the shims or wedges employed.

My present invention contemplates the provision of a floor structure of continuous formation which will be fire proof and fire resisting, the materials being so formed and" arranged as to utilize to the best advantage their inherent strengths. In illustrating the invention only a very small portion of a floor is shown, it being understood that continued duplication may be made to produce floors of any superficial-area.

Referring to the drawings, reference characters A indicate two substantially parallel girders supported in any usual or preferred manner. Structural members, I-beams in the present instance, B are arranged to extend between the girders A. Similar structural members or I-beams C are shown extending laterally from the girders A to form adjacent sections of floor which in every'respect, for the purposes of the present invention, may be considered to be duplications of the section included between the girders A. These I-beams are supported upon brackets 11 (Figs. 1, 4E and 5) of L-shape form, one flange 12 of which is riveted at 13 through the web of the girder A, the rivet 13 passing also through the flange 12 of the bracket 11 upon the other side of the girder. The I-beams B and C are preferably of less depth or vertical thickness than the girder A and the top flange or portion 14 is coped or cut away to permit the I-beam B to fit as closely between the webs of the girders A as ordinary I-beam construction will permit. The length of I-beams as customarily ordered from' and provided by the manufacturers of structural metal varies within a half inch or so in ordinary lengths, and means are provided, as will be later described, for causing a tight fit between the ends of the Lbeams and the adjacent surfaces of the \fobt of the girders 31. The upper surfaces of the flanges or tops 1% of the I-beam B are preferably disposed in the plane of the upper surfaces 15 of the girders A, and a tension member or plate 13 is positioned across the top the girder A. extending onto the tops 1% of ..ijacei1t ends of I-bea-ms B and C, such a pi -e being provided for each pair of adjacent ends of I-beams at each girder. This plate is riveted at 17 through the upper flanges of each I-beam and during construction of the fioor, and after the floor is finished these plates serve as tension members connecting the I-beanis and with the iii-sans interposed between the ends of the lbeanis and the structural members insure a true, rigid cantaliver structure. The means last referred to consist in the present instance of a pair of op.- positely arranged wedges or shims 18 which are driven into place between the lower flange or portion 20 of each I-beam and the web of the girder. These wedges are preferably disposed just abov the brackets 11 s that they are located as near the lower faces of the structural metal members as possible and so that the brackets may assist between displacement of the same. After being driven into position the ends 19 of the outermost wedge are bent outwardly with a suitable tool so that the floor for ring material. may prevent loosening of the wedges. It will be manifest that in practice tl e brackets 11 may be riveted to the girders at proper intervals at the s eel plant or they may be riveted to the ends of the 1-bean'is. case the construction already described permits a material reduction of the field work required for the erection of any building provided with floors embodying my invention. Moreover, it will be apparent that one end of each tension plate ma if desired, be secured in place to an end or one of the two I-beams it is to subsequently connect, thereby further reducing the field work required in the erection of the building. The provision of the wedges or shims aids materially in the assembling of the structural work, as

in eith or these wedges or shims may be loosened or tightened as occasion may require to permit easy registration of the apertures in the tension plate and in the upper portion of the structural members or I-beams to permit easy riveting, thereby avoiding the necessity for reaming the holes should they be slightly out of normal registration. If it be found necessary to complete the riveting operation with the wedges or shims loosely inserted they may be subsequently driven into tight engagement.

After the I-beams have been arranged, as just described, the floor materials are post tione d. Hollow tiles 21 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) are laid in place as closely together as conditions will permit. These tiles preferably are recessed at 22 along their longitudinal side faces near their lower edges for the reception of reinforcing rods 23. The lower portions 24: of the tile extend preferably beyound the main portion of the side surfaces of the tile forming a somewhat closer fit at the bottom. At the top the tiles may also, if desired, be recessed at for the reception of rods 26. The arrangement of all the rods will be later described. The tiles 21 which are disposed adjacent the I-beams, are preferably fOlll'lBd as at 25 to extend about the I-beams and a substantial distance beneath them, this formation being such as to hold in place an I-beam protecting tile 26, after construction.

The rods 23 extend horizontally merely between adjacent girders, while the rods 26 extend over the girders and a substantial distance toward the center of the span or floor section. The portion of the girders projecting beneath the tile structure just described may be protected in any suitable fashion by properly formed tile 27 and 28, seen in Fig. 3. A suitable cement filler or binder is interposed between the tile and I-beams so that the whole forms a continuous composite structure of tile and cement extending about and beneath the I-beams and from girder to girder, this continuous composite structure being continuous between successive girders by reason of the tie plates or tension members 16 and the rods 26 and by reason also of the concrete which is later placed upon the tile as will now be described.

A layer of concrete generally designated at 31 is deposited upon the tile structure. Thisconcrete may of course have any desired composition, depending upon the use to which the floor later to be received is to be put. Two forms of concrete with its proper accompanying floor is shown in Fig. 2, one on each side of what may be'considered a room partition 32. The portion to the left is designed to provide a concrete floor and consists of stone cement 33 upon which a finished cement dressing 34: has been deposited, and that upon the right of the partition 32 is a cinder cement 35 carrying wood strips 36 upon which is provided a board floor 37.

It will be manifest from the foregoing that the peculiar construction and arrange ment of the floor forming materials and their reinforces gives to the floor a double cantaliver action under stress about each girder, the cantaliver action at one side being continuous and connected with the cantaliver action at the other. The canta liver action is therefore continuous lengthwise of the girder as well as transversely of it. The arrangement of the reinforces places the upper portion of the floor structure under tension and the lower portion under compression at the girders, which tension and compression sustain immediately any load that may be felt by the floor, no loose play of the girders, I-beams or other parts being present.

It is thought that the invention and many of its'attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of any or all the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A floor structure comprising a girder, structural members flanged at their tops and bottoms extending laterally from said girder, a tension member connecting the upper flanges of said structural members and extending over said girder, and compression members interposed between the. ends of the lower flanges of said structural members and said girder.

- 2. A floor structure comprising a girder, structural members extending laterally from opposite sides of said girder and connected at adjacent ends, supports beneath the ends of said structural member secured to said girder and compression members interposed between said supports and the connection between said members and bearing against the ends of said structural members and said girder.

3. A floor structure comprising a girder, structural members extending laterally Copies of this patent may be obtained for from opposite sides of said girder, compression members interposed between the ends ofsaid structural members and said girder, the ends of said compression members being deflected as and for the purpose specified.

4. A floor structure comprising a girder, structural members extending laterally from opposite sides of said girder and a pair of compression wedges interposed between the end of each structural member and said girder, an end of one of said wedges being deflected at each side of said girder as and for the purpose specified.

5. A floor structure comprising a pair of parallelly arranged girders, structural members disposed in alinement at right angles with said girders, one said structural member extending from girder to girder and the other said structural member extending from said girders, said structural members being connected together across the tops of said girders and thrust or compression members interposed directly between the lower ends of said structural members and said girders.

6. A floor structure comprising a girder and structural members extending out from the sides of the girder, supports for carrying the weight of the structure member secured to the girder, a tension member passends of said structural members and compression members interposed between the ends of said structural members and said girder and above said support.

ERNEST V. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

ESTHER ABRAMS. J. P. GIBsoN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

mg over the girder and connecting adjacent. 

